Convertible body for motor-cars.



E. E. NORQUIST.

CONVERTIBLE BODY FOR MOTOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. I916.

Patented ay14,1918.

mmgio 2 SHEETSSHE ET I.

INVENTOR.

E. E. NORQUIST. CONVERTIBLE BODY FOR MOTOR CARS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.25. I916.

Patented May 14,1918. y

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR.

r) gr mi;

CbN'VERTIBLE BODY FOR MOTOR-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

racemes May '14,, 1918.

Application filed November 25, 1916.. Serial No. 133,821..

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, EMANUEL E. NoR

UIsT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, .in the county-of J ackson and State of Mimouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Bodies for Motor-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to convertible bodies for motor cars of the Ford runabout type, and has for its object to provide a simple, strong, durable and inexpensive-body which, when folded, conforms in appearance to the body of the Ford:runabout, and when un-J folded constitutes a truck body of good ca-j .ber is reinforced and strengthened by a U- shaped bar' 12, Welded orotherwise secured pacity and attractive appearance.

With this object and others .in-v1e-w, as

hereinafter appears, the invention conslsts I in the novel construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed 'and in order that the invention ma be fully understood, reference; is .to be ha to the. accompanying drawinga which: g

Figure 1,- is a perspective view of a; body embodying the invention,-in open. or unfold-Y ed position.

. Fi 2, is an enlarged central vertical lonthe body ii -folded or through. the overlappingv sides thereof reclosed, position.

. Fig. 3, is an enlarged section taken on'the lineIIIIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4, is an enlarged fragmentary-rear end view with. the body injfolded pos'ition andthe end gate depending.

Fig. 5 i -a perspective Vi f a prtfof the s -m mberof the bo Fi 6, isacentralvertlcal section show-'1' ing t e disposition of the'end gate when the body is arranged for general trucking pur- 4 poses.

Fig. with the end gate arranged as aseat.

In the said drawings, '1- indicates-the front member of the body, the same on the-Ford type of runabout, replacing the box at the rear of thezseat, and bein contouredat its front end to correspond with and fit against the back wall of the seat and provided with an upright partition 2, dividing the member into a large rear chamber and a small front. chamber or pocket, the front and bottom of the latter being formedby the said back- 'wall 3, of the seat, as shown clearly'in- Fig. 2. The side walls ofsaid member are provided at their upper -margins with out- 7 is a fragmentary perspective view] vertical reinforce plates 8, Welded or othere I wise secured at the-outer sides of said walls. The rear member'9, of'the'body is provided with side wallsand' a rear end wall,

and. said walls are stiffened by inwardlyprojecting flanges 10, at their upper margins,

the side walls being also provided at their lower,.margins wit 'outwardly projecting flanges 11. The front end 'ofthe rear memat the inner side of said member. g

Therear member is of size to fit snugly within the front member, and when the body is unfolded or open to constitute a tru'ck, the

front end of the bottom of the rear member "fits in the recess 5, of the front member, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 6, the upper surface of the body-portion'ofthe' U-shaped bar lying flush with theupper side, of the bottom of the front member.v

The members are secured operatively to gether by a pair of pivot bolts 13, extending taining nuts l4, engaging the inner ends .of-

said bolts, it being understood that said pivot bolts also. extend through the stifi'gning plates 81.. A's .thus connected it is sible-to. swing the rear member fromfthe position shown in Fig.1, to the position shown in Fig. 12, that is to say, by-simply swinging the rear member as described, the body is; converted into "a box conformingin appearance to the'box originally a part of the car.-

By. reversing said swinging "movement the body becomes a truck of ample capacity for the usesto which Ford cars are usually put,

it being noted by reference to Fig.1, that the engagement'of the front ends of the bot-.. tom flanges .of the rear member, with the lower edges of the side Walls of the frontmember and thelowerends of the reinforce 1 p s the rear member inproper openfreiation to they front member.

1 The rigidityfof this relation is increased however, by the'abutment of-the front end 1 of the bottomand the U-shaped bar against the rear fstepped end of the bottom of the front member. I

The side portions or arms of the U-shaped bar- 12, are provided with upper and lower bolt holes. 15, and correspondingbolt holes; 16. Said holes are-extended through the side walls ofthere'ar member, theset ofholes lying rearward, andthe set .of holes 16 forward of the yertical plane intersecting the pivotbolts 13. The side walls of the i front member'are. provided with a single set of holes 16, for registration with holes 15,

when the rear member is in open or unfolded position," and for registration with holes 16,

whenthe rear member is in closed or folded position, and t'o lockthe'rear member meither of said positions, a' pair of bars 17 arefitted against the plates 8 and provided with .bolt-stemslS, extending through holes 16 I and the 'set of holes 15 or 16, accordingly as the body is open ,as a truck or closed as a box. The locking plates 17, are secured 1n position by nuts 19, engaging the inner ends of the bolt stems 18. It will be understood that the locking lates are employed-to secure the converti le body in'either of its forms, and that said; plates must be removed when it is desired to swing therearmemher on its pivots. The-plates 17 are offset overlapped by -a cover. 21,for' the-pocket hereinbefore identified, said cover serving to prevent water entering thelbodybetween the rear memberandpartition2; The'cover 21i hinged as at 22, to the upper-front corners of Springs 24,jonegonly; appearing, connect f the cover. 21, with theffront' member and.

front jmwiben-to constitute atop therefor.

thereby. hold. said cover downiwith afyielding force so that itshallnot vibrate and pr'o duce objectionable .noise while the'car is in 1 'motion. 'It also serves toprevent movement "1 of the rear member inthe event the latter is not locked in folded. or closed position by the locking. plates, as hereinbefore explained. The cover is provided .with a handle 25, for v raising it when necessary or desirable, and

j the member 9, with a handle 26, for. con

1 venience in swinging said member.

The body is provided with an end gate '27, provided with hinge 'coils or loops 28, to be I alined with the corresponding parts ofthe front member and-to receive-the hinge rod 7 and the lower margin" of the end gate is stifl'enedby a flange 29, which terminates.

short of the side margins of the gate to prof 'duce recesses 30 to accommodate the flanges .10 of the rear member when the gate is used as a seat, as hereinafter explained. Journaled'in the end gate is a'pin 31, provided with an operating handle 32 and a latch arm 33." The latch arm is'adaptedto be engaged withqanzangleplate 34, on the bottom ofthe rear Inember'ofthebody, when the body 'is' unfolded and it is desirable that the mend gate shallv be out ofjtheway and incapable of swinging. When the body is folded, the end gate is swung upward to close the rear end of the body and is secured in such position'by turning the latch arm until it thebody, as shown in Fig. 2.

'To divide the body into a front and rear compartment,'the end gate can be fitted in the front member and secured in position by tween said wall flanges.

From the above desorlptionitwill be apable, and whichis susceptible. of modificaprojects through theslot 85, formed in the bar '12 and the bottom of the rear member of parent that I have produced a convertible body for motor cars, which'po'ssesses the features of advantage-enumeratedas desirtion in minor particulars withoutdeparting claims. --'I claim:- 1

from the spirit-and scope of the appended 1; A convertible body .for motor cars, com

cross-partition near its front end, a rear Iinember fitting in and pivoted'to the front "member. for. adjustment to form an extension or atoptherefor and to beheld when '{arra'ngedas a top, in a downwardly and llrearwardlyinclined position by the first me'mbenla'nd' a hinged. cover for the front end-of the front member, adapted toloverlie -.theforward end of the rear member when .the'latter is arranged as a top for thefront member.

2. A- convertible body for motorcars, comprising a front member having a cross-partition near its front end, a rear member fitting in and pivoted to the front member for adjustment to form an extension= or a top therefor, and providedwith outwardly-projecting flanges toengage'the underside ofthe front member or the upper side thereof accordingly as said rear member isarranged as an extension or'top for'the front member, a cover hinged to the front member and adapted for overlapping the rear member when the latter is arranged as a top for the front member, and springs secured to'fithe front member and saidcover for holding the.

latter pressed down upon the rear member.

g 1 prising 'a" front member having a' vertical commodate-nnd-overlap the rear member at the frontend thereof, when-folded. upon the V and adapted to bear. along the front edge of.

its bottom in and against the recessed portion of the front member, and provided with outwardly-projecting flanges to bear against the underside of the sidewalls of the front member when the bottom of said rear memher is engaged with said recess of the front member, said flanges being also adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the sidewalls of the front member, when the rear member is swung pivotally over and uponthe front member to form a top therefor. q

4. A convertible body for motor cars,oomprising a front member open at its'upperside and rear end and stepped down across the rear end of its bottom, a rear member fitting in the front member and upon the stepped down portion thereof, and provided with outwardly-projecting flanges underlying the sidewalls of said front member,

means pivotally connecting the sidewalls of the members together, an end gate hinged to the rear end of the front member and adapted to be swung upward to vertical position to close the rear end thereof when the rear member is swungto a position over the front member, and means to secure the end gate in said last-named position.

5. A convertible body for motor cars,comprising a front member, a rear memberfitting in and pivoted to the front member for adjustment to form an extension or to therefor, the rear member having outwar 1 -projecting flanges to engage the underside of the front-member or the upper side thereof accordingly as said rearmember is arranged as an extension or top for the front member,

and a part pivoted at its ends to the front member near the upper margin thereof, and

' adapted to extend downward to form a partition for the body or to extend horizontally rearward and rest on, the upper edge of the. rear member to constitute a seat.

6. A convertible body for motor cars, comprising a front member, a rear member fitting in and pivoted to the front member for adjustment to form an extension or a top.

therefor, the rear member having outwardlyprojecting flanges to engage the under side of the front member or the upper side thereof accordingly as said rear member is arranged as an extension or top for the front member, and plates fitting against the side Walls of the body and each having a plurality of bolts extending through the overlapping Walls of the members to secure them against pivotal movement,

7. A convertible body for motor cars, com prising a front member, a rear member fitting in and pivoted to the front member for adjustment to form an extension or a top therefor, the rear member having outwardly projecting flanges toengage the under side of the front member or the upper side thereof accordingly as'said rear member is arranged as an extension or top for the front member, and plates fitting-against the side walls of the body and each having a plurality of bolts extending through the overlapping walls of the members to secure them against pivotal movement; said plates being arched over the pivots of the members to prevent outward movement of said pivots.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, w

M. C. BOHN, G. Y. THoRPE. 

